Sabriel

Rating:
Summary: Breaking the Mold
Review: Sabriel is a very well written book with an intricate plot featuring a complex conflict. It's about a young necromancer (Sabriel) that has to visit a magical realm to defeat a mysterious evil force and save her father from death. Throughout her perilous journey of trying to discover a way to destroy Kerrigor (the villain), she acquired two fascinating companions. One is a powerful free magic spirit, trapped in the form of a cat, named Mogget. The other, a young man she saved from death, nicknamed. I loved how the author created the magical realm of the "Old Kingdom" with such realism and persuasiveness. The author's method of describing the atmosphere and characters was also very appealing. They were down-to-earth yet very adventurous and heroic. An amazing work of art that exceeds the mundane expectations of nowadays fictions. Garth Nix's Sabriel is truly a one of a kind fantasy novel with its mystical plot, intertwining conflict, and pragmatic setting.
Sabriel is a book gifted with the power to enable its readers to literally experience the treacherous, breathtaking quest. For example, when Sabriel uncovered Kerrigor's body, the atmosphere became tense and full of anticipation. I felt like I was there with Sabriel and the soldiers, looking down upon the charter spell inscribed coffin. Images of the shape, color, and design of the coffin and the scenery just flooded into my head. Another event that pulled me into the story was when Sabriel fought with a free magic spirit called Thralk. This evil monstrous creature feeds off of life and lives in corpses of the deceased. It was just as if I were standing there next to Sabriel, waiting in fear and nervousness for Thralk to appear. Sabriel's ability to bestow upon you the emotions of the characters/surrounding is unbelievable.
I was blown away by Sabriel's intertwining conflict and elaborate plot. The author mentions miniscule details in the beginning of the book, and somehow weaves it into the explanation/cause of the problem. This is quite impressive because it gives the story many unexpected twists and turns that made the plot both clever and suspenseful. For instance, Touchstone, the young man that Sabriel brought back from death after a two hundred year spell, didn't seem likely to be much of a determining factor in the story. But it turns out that Touchstone plays quite a vital role in the development of the plot and conflict (which you will find out why once you've read the book). Also, when Mogget gave Sabriel a free magic ring, no one suspected a thing. That is, until Mogget overcame the spell that bound him to his cat shape and became something deadly that threatened to kill Sabriel, and that's when the ring came into play (find out how and read the book). Now I realize how even the tiniest piece of information can affect the outcome of the whole story.
The magical realm of the "Old Kingdom" was a brilliant creation by Garth Nix. It was both enchanting and modern in a way. Nix's blended in magic to the every day life of the people of the "Old Kingdom" successfully without appearing artificial. Charter magic was a common thing for both people who were knowledgeable towards it and those who weren't. Unlike the secret world of wizards and witches in the Harry Potter series, where ordinary people were ignorant to the existence of magic. I prefer the more realistic setting of the "Old Kingdom" in comparison to the naïve and phony setting of a world where wizards and witches exist in concealment (afraid of being discovered by normal folks).
Sabriel by Garth Nix is a one of a kind fantasy novel, capable of satisfying anyone's thirst for romance mixed with adventure and heroism. This charming story is a cut above the rest with its enthralling plot/conflict and deep character descriptions. The way the author disguises key elements to be minor details in the beginning and then incorporate them into a bigger picture later is very witty. I'd recommend this to readers of any age group as long as they're into fiction fantasy stories. Sabriel keeps you on the edge of your seat with an elaborate plot, diverse conflict, and fascinating setting.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Stunning!!
Review: Sabriel is the brillant beginning of what now seems to be a trilogy of books set in the magical and frigtening world beyond the Wall. This book is perfect for reading late at night...a little creepy...but mixed together with action, romance, tons of adventure, and a little white cat with attitude. Sabriel is a darker fantasy...but definately worth reading...and to make it even better, the second book Lirael is just as good..I haven't read the third book yet...but I am definately looking forward to the outcome of this trilogy :)

Rating:
Summary: Young adult?
Review: My copy of the paperback doesn't aim this book at the young adult market explicitly (although the glowing reviews on the back from Philip Pullman and Lloyd Alexander could have given that away) and I must say that I didn't find it particularly young... I found it a dark and powerful book.

_Sabriel_ contains a startling original look at magic. The idea of a kind of necromancy controlled by bells is different from anything I've seen before and realized here in a unique way. Sabriel is caught in a world where nothing and noone is as they seem and where she has to fight alone to save her father. Definitely one of the new must-reads in fantasy.

Rating:
Summary: amazing and very well written
Review: Nix does a very good job with this book. It has all of the elements of a really good book: imagination, a touch of mystery, romance, comic relief and a lot of action.
The charactors are really well developed, and the information all makes sense. There is a ton of creativity in this book, and I think that it is good for students and all sorts of people to get veiws on foreign fantasy and sci-fi.
This is a good example of just that. Very good plot.

Rating:
Summary: BRAVO!!
Review: I have just finished the book yesterday n am already on chapter 3 in the next book LIREAL. SABRIEL is truly a great book. It didn't take me to long to finish it because I couldn't put it down. Even when your not reading it your thinking about it. When you read it it's as if your in another world. I definatley recommend this book to anyone who likes to read books with adventure, action, and suspense with a little bit of romance mixed in with all of them.

Rating:
Summary: This book is wondeful
Review: This book is seriously one of the best books I have ever read. It combines the right amount of adventure and romance to keep you hooked all the way through. I can't wait until Garh Nix publishes the rest of the series. BE WARNED: take your time reading this book and Lireal because the next one doesn't come out until Feb.

Rating:
Summary: Sabriel
Review: A really good book; exciting and makes you want to know what's going to happen. Recommended!!!

Rating:
Summary: The Best Fantasy Non-Epic
Review: Fantasy, as a genre, is longer the most: multi volume epics filled with cataclysmic events spanning years.

And then, there's Sabriel. Size: one volume. Page count: just under 500 pages. I polished this off in a couple days.
But what a couple of days.

I like long things. If a book doesn't drag, then I don't care how long it lasts. Hell, I read all 1,400 pages of Les Miserables, unabridged, (took like six months) and it is quite a book. But that doesn't mean I dislike short books. Sabriel is a good read: a universe with simple rules that you are always on the verge of understanding, with inference instead of exposition. The opening is well written: it follows the tried-and-true method where you are given useful information that pertains to the plot, sucks you into the story, and allows the main part of the story to begin calmly all the same. The Fellowship of the Ring, film version, begins similarly.

The universe itself is impressive, avoiding the traditional swords, wizards, fireballs, and demons. The undead are familiar to any fantasy reader, but not these undead. Necromantic magic uses literal bells and whistles; death is a river leading from life to the beyond. Pure magic has its own set of rules, rules that are never explained so much as danced around. And modern technology exists, adding instead of taking away from the power of magic.

So, if you're looking for a quick read, without the length of the Lord of the Rings, much less the Wheel of Time or Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, then here's a treat for you: compact, but stirring for the time it lasts. One thing keeps you from begging for more: there's no need to say more.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best fantasy strings I've read in a long time.
Review: I was at the bookstore, just bored because there hadn't been a real good fantasy book for a long time that I'd liked. I looked at it, and couldn't find -anything- on it that told me what it was about, but I still convinced my mum to buy it for me. I got home and read it to bits... I LOVE it. After that I began going on blind faith about books that looked really interesting. But I recommend this book to all my friends, -especial- the next of the series, Lirael.

Sabriel is about a very grown up child who has been living protected in Ancelstierre when she's suddenly laid up with the responsibility of her fathers bells and sword. With a few words that answers none of her questions, she decides to venture into the Old Kindom to search for him. Being chased by a great Evil, she knows there is more to the reason of his disappearance, but she knows barely anything of the Old Kingdom. Being even less informed of Old Kindom history, she tries to find answers to its confusing past, but there is little anyone can tell her for a spell binding the tongue, keeping the past locked safely away.

Rating:
Summary: TERRIFIC
Review: this book is marvelous! and they're right! who likes harry potter anyways?I believe it is the best combination of good vs. evil since the Chronicles of Narnia!!!